Holder attachment for driving tools



April 20, 1943. E.- RABY 2,317,085

HOLDER ATTACHMENT FOR DRIVING TOOLS Filed April 25, 1941 INVENTOR. fan/ ffly Patented Apr. 20, 1943 HOLDER ATTACHMENT FOR DRIVING TOOLS Earl Raby, Kansas City, Mo.

Application April 25, 1941, Serial No. 380,269

2 Claims.

This invention relates to tools and particularly hand manipulated instruments in the general nature of screw drivers adapted to force to position such articles as wood metal screws, tacks,

rivets or nails, and the primary aim is to provide a holder attachment for the tool that is efiicient in operation, cheap to manufacture, and durable enough to perform the necessary duties and to overcome rough usage incident to normal employment of the tool.

One of the primary aims of the instant invention is the provision of a tool of the aforementioned character, having as a part thereof, a specially formed detent which cooperates with a slidably mounted holder, which holder may be adjusted to and from the operative position with ease and dispatch, and carried on the tool as a part thereof when the tool is not being used in Work where the holder is required.

A yet further object of this invention is to provide an attachment for screw drivers and the like, that may be secured to conventional type drivers and held thereon through the inherent characteristics of parts of the attachment as other parts thereof are moved to and from a position where a screw or the like being driven, is releasably secured in place.

This invention has for a further aim, the provision of a screw driver attachment consisting in the main of a specially formed coil spring and a holder associated therewith, in a fashion as to permit manipulation and adjustment by the operator.

Other objects of the invention including specific details of construction and the manner of applying holder attachments of different types, to screw driver shanks, will appear during the course of the following specification, referring to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a driving tool such as a screw driver, having a holder attachment thereon made in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of a portion of a tool embodying the invention.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line III--III of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an elevational View of a tool made to embody a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the same tool as that shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of a tool made to embody still a further modification of the invention; and

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Fig. 7 is another side elevational view of the tool illustrated in Fig. 6.

The tool contemplated by this invention assumes the general characteristics of a conventional screw driver which has the usual handle l0 and shank l2 extending longitudinally from one end of said handle. This shank i2 has a screw engaging head M formed on the free end thereof, which, in this instance, is shown to be contoured to engage specially formed screws IE, but since this head M does not embody any part of this invention, it is to be understood that said head :4 may assume any contour for the purpose of gripping or engaging screws of well-known commercial types.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, shank i2 is provided with a specially formed groove l8, milled or otherwise created in a manner to present a shoulder 20 disposed in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of shank 62. Another inclined shoulder 22 lies at an angle to said axis of shank i2, all to the end that one or more of the coils of spring 24 may move to and from a place in groove IS with comparative case when the groove is approached from one side thereof only. Groove 18 comprises. therefore, a stop or an abutment against which, or into which the adjacent end of the spring forming a detent is engageable to prevent outward movement of the spring.

Coil spring 24 circumscribes shank l2 and is in the nature of a compression spring, certain coils 26 of which are smaller in cross sectional area than the remaining coils for the purpose of establishing friction between shank i3 and the relatively small coils 26.

Spring 24 is provided with bearings 28 that receive arms 39 of the holder, which is generally designated by the numeral 32. This holder has a. guide loop 34 which circumscribes shank l2 near one end of spring 24 and a pair of fingers 36 projecting laterally from arms 30 in overhanging relation and spaced from the other end of spring 24. These fingers 3B are normally rather close together, but when screw I5 is engaged thereby, they are spread as shown in Fig. 1.

When the holder is moved to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, where it is well away from the end of shank I2, coils 26 of the spring will frictionally engage shank l2 and preclude accidental movement therealong. When it is desired to use the attachment, the holder is moved to a place where at least one of coils 26 drop into grooves l8. Fingers 36 are then normally in the position shown in full lines of Fig. 2, and

when they are to engage screw l6, spring 24 is compressed by moving guide loop 34 against the end opposite to that engaged within groove it. Such force compresses spring 24, moves holder 32 to a place where screw l6 may be inserted. beneath fingers 36. The spring tension exerted by coils of spring 24 upon holder 32, will retain screw IS in an operative position with respect to head 14 of the tool until such time as the holding action is no longer needed.

The form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 4.- and is similar to that just described in that holder 50 has fingers 52 and a guide loop 54 which circumscribes shank 56 of the tool. Coil spring 58 wound around shank 56 has bearings 60 at the ends thereof to embrace arms 62 of holder 58. A flange 64 presenting an annular shoulder 66 to engage one end of spring 58 is rigidly mounted or formed integrally with shank 56. Coils 68 near one end of spring 58 should be smaller in cross sectional area than the remaining coils in order to establish a sufiicient amount of friction to preclude accidental movement of the entire attachment along the shank 56.

Operation of the attachment just described, is substantially the same as above set down with regard to the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 6 and '7 is capable of performing the same func tion of holding a screw on the head '10 of shank 12, but comprises a unitary attachment, the spring portion 14 of which is in the nature of a closed spring that must be expanded when in place to cause fingers 16 to yieldably engage the screw.

Arms 78 extend longitudinally along shank l2 and merge with the material from which spring 14 is constructed. Coils 88 at the end of spring 14 opposite to the end merging with arms 1'8, are slightly less in cross sectional area than the remaining coils for the purpose aforesaid, i. e. establishing a frictional engagement between the outer surface of shank 12 and the spring in order that it may be held in place or moved to and from the operative position by mere manual manipulation. Spring 14 in the instance shown in Figs. 6 and 7, is wound from a doubled length of wire and the ends thereof forming fingers 15, are bent to overlie the end of spring 14 and to grip the work as above set down.

Annular groove 82 formed in shank 1'2 does not have an abrupt shoulder therein and therefore, the coils 80 ofreduced-size, readily drop into the groove when the attachment is in the operative position illustrated. When a screw is placed upon screw engaging head 10, the spring is merely expanded to a point where fingers 76 will lie against the head of the screw to hold it upon the specially formed end 10.

It is obvious from the foregoing that attachments embodying the invention may be made to present widely varying physical characteristics and that any screw holding attachment that does embody the invention is capable of quick attachment, easy manipulation, and susceptible of being moved out of the positions shown in the drawing, where the tool with which the attachment is associated, may be manually manipulated without difficulty or inconvenience due to the presence of the attachment embodying the improvements contemplated.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a tool of the character described, a shank provided with a groove; a coil spring circumscribing the shank and slidable longitudinally therealong, the coil at one end of the spring comprising a detent engageable in said groove to limit outward movement of the spring; and a holder movable with the spring, said groove being formed to present a shoulder having the face substantially perpendicular to the face of the shank and an inclined shoulder whereby to stop the movement of the spring along the shaft in one direction and allow its movement along the shaft in the opposite direction upon application of relatively slight pressure, said holder having a loop therein circumscribing the shank at the other end of the coil spring, said spring having bearings adjacent each end thereof slidably engaging the holder.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a holder attachment for screw drivers comprising a coiled compression spring having coils at one end thereof of cross-sectional areas less than the remaining coils to form a detent; bearings on the spring at each end respectively thereof; and a holder for screws having a guide loop at one end and in axial alignment with the coil spring and disposed near one end of the said spring, and a pair of fingers at the other end thereof overlying the other end of the spring and in spaced relation thereto, said bearings being in slidable engagement with the holder between the loop and the fingers thereof.

EARL RABY. 

